Pneumatic motor for flue-cutters.



if H. D. PALMER. PNEUMATIG MOTOR FOR FLUE CUTTERS.

APPLICATION FILED IIIA-Y 26, 1916.

Patented July 24,v 1917.

@TD @RATES FAVINIF FFIQE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2d, 191W..

Application filed May 2G, 1916. Serial l\To. 100,006.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY D. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have inventel certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Motors for Fluo-Cutters, of which the following is a specication.

My invention is a pneumatic motor designed for operating the type of flue-cutters whereby the flue is cut in two by the initial puncturing action of the knife or cutting tool and the following single rotation thereof. To operate such a tool it is obvious that a powerful motor is necessary, or, if a weaker motor is used, gearing must be interposed to increase the power and proportionately reduce the speed of the tool; and it has been the practice, on account of the great weight of direct-connected motors, to use the lighter motors and the gearedtransmission of various types. The tool of the type illustrated in the drawing and my motor are used for cutting the flues while they are in the boiler for the purpose of removing them. It is the practice to mount the motor and gearing on a frame adjustably secured to the end of the boiler, using the universal-jointed transmission'rod for the purpose of placing the tool in the several iiues within a wide range; and the frame must be shifted as the work rogresses in order to get the tool to all of the flues. In view of the necessity for frequent shifting, it is obvious that it is highly desirable that the parts be of the lightest possible weight. And in view of the numerous flues in a single boiler, it is also desirable that the element of time required for each cutting operation be reduced to a minimum.

It is the object of my invention to produce a strong, durable, efficient, light, compact, and simple motor of the kind set forth, coupled with the greatest economy in manufacture and operation. It is a further object to produce a motor whereby the time required for cutting the flue may be greatly reduced, so that the workman may within a given time cut many more flues than he has heretofore been able to cut with machines of similar general nature. It is a further object to produce a motor that can be made cheaply and yet that is well adapted to witlistand the hard usage to which such a machine is put. Other objects will appear hereinafter- My invention comprises a special assembly of a cylinder with a double-acting piston and piston-rod directly connected with a rack meshing with a pinion whose spindle is formed for connection with the transmission to the cutting tool, together with a manually operable controlling valve. It further comprises tlie particular arrangement of the parts named. It further comprises the parts, improvements, and combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in the description of the drawings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form and what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof; but it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, I contemplate changes in form, proportions, and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a motor made in accordance with the principles of my invention, the supporting bar being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional elevation, on the plane indicated approximately by the line 3*?) in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on a plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view, approximately on a plane indicated by the line 6-6 in Fig. 4, of a valve for controlling the flo-w of the motive fluid. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the cutting-off tool and the transmission, partly broken away and partly in section. Fig. 8 is an end view on a plane indicated by the line 8 8 in Fig. 7 of the universal joint member which is attacliable to the pinion spindle. Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line 9 9 in Fig. 7.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The supporting bar 1 is formed with elongated slots 2, 2 whereby it may be attached to the end of a boiler. The cylinder casing 3, secured to the frame, is formed with a way 4c between the two ribs 5, 5 extending parallel with the cylinder axis. The cylinder casing is also formed with journal bearings 6, 6, and caps 7 7 are provided therefor. The cylindrical valve casing` 10 is formed with va centrally disposed inlet port 42, working ports 43 and 4A communicating' through the pipes 8 and 9, respectively with opposite ends of the working cylinder, and exhaust ports 45 and 11G. Reciprocatingly mounted within the valve casing are the two spaced-apart pistons 40, 40, mounted on the valve stem l-1 which is connected with a long rod 11 whereby the valve may be operated from a distance. By shifting the valve to a central position, both working ports will be closed to the motive fluid and open to the exhaust. By shifting the valve to the right (as shown in Fig. G), the motive fluid will be introduced into the right-hand end of the working cylinder and the left-hand end will be open to the exhaust. By shifting the valve to the left, the motive fluid will be diverted to the left-hand end of the working cylinder, and the right-hand end will be ,open to the exhaust, thereby producing the working stroke of the piston in the working cylinder, as hereinafter explained. 12 is the piston, 25 is a rubber cushion, and 13 .is the piston rod extending out through the packing nut or gland 14. 15 is a'rack mounted in the way between the ribs and having its one end turned inwardly and pivoted to the outer end of the piston rod, as indicated at 16. 17 is a pinion meshing directly with the rack and secured on, or formed with, a spindle 18 journaled in said bearings and squared at one of its ends 19 for connection with a tool or with the transmission to a tool, as hereinafter explained. 20 is a shield secured on top of said ribs and forming a covering for the ribs, way, rack and pinion. 21 is a plate firmly secured to the supporting bar and bent over, as shown at 22, to form a rigid guide for the piston rod and rack when the piston rod is extended. Preferably it is formed with the two strips 23, 23 between which the rack runs, and preferably also a wearing shoulder 24 is formed on the rack to engage against the guide plate. Preferably, too, since the guide must be quite rigid, l prefer to form it from boiler plate.

Referring to Figs. 7 8 and 9, the flue cutting-off tool is indicated at 30; and the transmission between the motor spindle 18 and the cutting-off tool 30 comprises the two universal joints 31 and 32, the square rod 33 secured to the joint 31, and the pipe 35 secured to the joint 32 to which is also secured the cutting-olf tool 30; the square rod telescoping within the pipe and extending through the squared opening 34. The pipe and the rod are rather long so as to have a long reach, and, though slidably adjustable with relation to each other to increase the reach, they are non-rotatable with relation to each other. The member of the universal joint 31 to which the rod is not attached, is provided with a squared socket 32 which lits onto the squared end 19 of the pinion spindle 18. The rack and pinion are so related that the pinion makes somewhat more than one complete rotation with each full strokel of the piston. This is sufficient to drive the cutting tool throughthe wall of the flue and then to cut the flue by the further complete rotation of the cutter. To operate the machine, the drawings showing the movable parts in normal or initial position, the right-hand end of the cylinder' is opened to the exhaust, and the motive fluid is let into the opposite end, by shifting the valve to the left, thereby driving the piston to the right, the piston carrying with it the piston rod and the rack, and the rack rotating the pinion, as already explained. Upon reversing the valve the parts will be returned to initial position. By opening both ends to the exhaust, the parts are freely movable.

rllhe machine is supported on the b'ar which is attached to the end of the boiler and may be shifted from time to time to get the cutter into all of the flues. Each position, however, will ordinarily, in connection with the universal-jointed transmission, give a wide range to the cutting tool.

Each stroke of the piston has its particular work to do, that is, the forward stroke, or working stroke, cuts the iiue and the return stroke restores the tool. Furthermore, the application of the power is more direct than where rotary motors are used, also its action is much quicker, there being no necessity for accelerating rotating parts. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

.1. The combination of a supporting bar Y formed with elongated slots, a cylinder casing secured to said bar and formed with a way in its outer side parallel with the cylinder axis and substantially co-e'xtensive therewith, and also formed with journal bearings on opposite sides of said way adjacent toV ioo guide secured' to said supporting bar and formed'with a way extending parallel with the piston rod when extended, said rack engaging in said last-named way to prevent lateral movement of thefpiston rod, means for supplying the motive fluid to and exhausting itY from the oppositelsides of theV piston, and a manually operable controlling the same.

2. The combination of a supporting bar formed for attachment to the end of a valve for boiler, a cylinder casing secured to said bar and formed with a way in its outer side parallel with the cylinder axis and substantially oo-extensive therewith and also formed With journal bearings on opposite sides of said Way adj aoent to one end of the Cylinder casing, a pinion formed With a spindle joui'- naled in said bearingsand formed for conneotion with a flue-cutter, a rack mounted in said Way and meshing With said pinion, a piston in the Cylinder, a piston rod secured to the piston and secured at its outer end to one end of said rack, a guide Secured to the sup- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for Afive cents each, by addressing the porting bar and extending parallel With the piston rod When extended, said i'aok engaging said guide to prevent lateral movement of the piston rod, means for supplying Inotive iuid to and exhausting it from the oylindelon opposite sides of the piston, and a manually operable valve for controlling the flow of the motive fluid.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature.

HARVEY D. PALMER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

